<p>Wanting to transfer to UC Berkeley to be a sophomore, what are my chances?
~Intended major: microbiology and sociology
~3.7 GPA at a top 20 university (according to US News and World Report)
~I have less than 60 units (really close though, this including AP credit): was planning as applying as a "sophomore transfer"
~out of state and a student on the East coast
~top 5% in high school; GPA strong (above 4.0), and okay SAT score (1460)
~got quite a few ECs: average, nothing absolutely spectacular or anything
I seem to get the impression that it's next to impossible to transfer to UCB being an out of state student, is that true? Should I just give up? And anyone have any success stories for transfer students out of state they'd like to share? Input is greatly appreciated!
Also, if I do have a chance, is there anything else I could do to improve my chances (better GPA, better ECs, etc)</p>
<p>I can assure you that you have a 0 percent chance. They are EXTREMELY picky about having 60 credits and since you dont, they wont admit you. SOrry.</p>
<p>UCB is ranked 21th and you are in school that is on top 20. Anyways, what is your reason to transfer out? From your profile, you have a very high chance of getting in and if you live in CA , that would boost your chance even more.</p>
<p>It's not impossible to transfer as an out-of-state student, but it pretty much is impossible if you have less than 60 units as xcaliberse said. Only under very rare circumstances do the UCs accept sophomore transfers, usually only if you were accepted as a freshman out of high school.</p>
<p>Do you mind telling us what school you're currently at and why you want to leave?</p>
<p>UCB almost always have junior transfers, I barely hear them accepting any sophomore transfer or senior transfer.</p>
<p>UCB does not accept sophomore-level transfers. You should have an EXCELLENT reason as to why you want to transfer. Even if you are from a Top-20 school per USN, you will still need an excellent GPA as UCB (and its admissions department) will only consider the Ivies and schools like MIT, Chicago, Duke to be equivalent in terms of academic rigor. You will also need to look at your intended major. If you major falls with the College of Letters and Science then you have less of a problem. If your intended major is Business or almost any pre-med type program you really need to present an outstanding application.</p>
<p>I’m curious as to my chances too
CCC transfer (junior lvl)
3.68 UC GPA (Slightly higher after this Spring)
60 units completed/Major pre-reqs done this spring
History Major
EC’s:volunteer coach for my HS wrestling team, and Model UN
California resident
Think I had a strong application but I guess nobody can ever be sure. I really would like to get into UC Berkeley or UCLA, but I also applied to UC Irvine and Davis.
Any responses would be great to hear.</p>
<p>@ HighDesertHobo: Welcome to the site lol. You’re pretty borderline for UCB…</p>
<p>I’d say you’re definitely in at UCI and UCD. 44.44% acceptance rate at UCLA = Yeah, you’re probably in. </p>
<p>UCB: I’m not as familiar with their History Department, but I would imagine it is a bit more difficult to transfer into. I’d say you have about a 50% chance. Better than that with an upward trend and great essays though.</p>
<p>Thus: 10/10 for UCI and UCD. 7/10 for UCLA. 5/10 for UCB.</p>
<p>@ penn_dreams: You pretty much need to have 60 UC transferrable units done. If you can get that, with those numbers, you’re set. However, if you don’t already meet the 60 unit eligibility requirement, your chances of getting into UCB are extremely slim.</p>
<p>@ kevin101: USNWR is wrong. The methodology is flawed. Internationally, Berkeley is almost always considered Top 10. USNWR places way too much emphasis on university funding. Berkeley would obviously be placed at a significant disadvantage. IMO UCB is Top 10-15 in the U.S.</p>
<p>Awesome. Thank you! That was pretty much my assumptions but it’s nice to hear it from someone else too. And thank you for the welcome. Figured it was about time I joined.</p>
<p>I don’t get why people bother posting these kinds of threads, other than to fulfill a strange psychological need for reassurance. How should we know your chances any better than you? We’re not admissions experts, we’re students!
And why did you bump this thread from 2008? Why don’t you go to the proper section and post your own thread if you’re so interested?</p>
<p>“USNWR is wrong. The methodology is flawed. Internationally, Berkeley is almost always considered Top 10. USNWR places way too much emphasis on university funding. Berkeley would obviously be placed at a significant disadvantage. IMO UCB is Top 10-15 in the U.S.”</p>
<p>I find it funny you point out how their methodology is flawed and then proceed to rank them based on your own opinion with no supporting evidence.</p>
<p>Well, IMO here is the top ten</p>
<ol>
<li>University of Phoenix</li>
<li>UC Merced</li>
<li>National University</li>
<li>San Diego Mesa College</li>
<li>ITT Tech</li>
<li>DeVry</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Chico State</li>
<li>UNH</li>
<li>Florida International</li>
</ol>
<p>I am a Phoenix</p>
<p>Seriously though, no ranking is an exact science. Each school has its pros and cons, and comparing the schools in an attempt to come up with some master ranking that is universally accepted is impossible. No Methodology will ever be able to produce a ranking that is completely flawless.</p>
<p>Thus, feeling the need to defend the prestige of a school by arguing that it is at least 6-11 spots higher is laughable. Who Cares? It is a great school no matter what the number is.</p>
<p>^what you’re saying is understandable but all emilsinclair9 was trying to point out was that US News (which is in the business of ranking schools) uses a methodology which pretty much gives all private universities a huge boost over public schools. Sure no ranking system is an exact science (check out Forbes rankings sometime, you will honestly laugh out loud). As he pointed out other ranking systems have different methodologies he finds more accurate in determining the actual quality of education provided by the school.</p>
<p>Sorry if I came across as attacking. I wasn’t meaning to. I just think it is pointless to argue over rankings. Everyone should choose to use a ranking system that employs a methodology which most closely parallels what is important to them as a student. Arguing that one ranking system is “flawed” and that other systems are better is a futile battle. There is no right or wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and in addition, rankings mean very little anyways. No employer is going to pass on a graduate because his degree is only from the 21st best university in the country and not top 10.</p>
<p>^ well said.</p>
<p>investment banks might beg to differ</p>
<p>Agreed to a certain level, as some companies actually list “from top tier universities only” and top investment firms won’t even read your resume if you aren’t from a top 10 school. There is also the practice of “you don’t find us, we will find you…” where you can’t apply online, but the company will go to your school. It’s a very fast way for businesses to weed out community college/state school applicants from the ivy-league’rs without actually telling them that.
However, I think they were arguing about how the actual rankings methodology differ. There is no doubt that UC Berkeley is a top school, but how exact can you be to differ it from all the other top schools in the nation? Some websites/companies might place importance on a certain category while others may not. I remember researching MBA schools and one well known website put BYU in the top 5 while the other websites didn’t even put it in the top 15.</p>
<p>@ UChopeful2010: Whoah, out of nowhere man! lol. If you would like, I can provide you with stats and multiple threads where I have posted about this. Literally just the other day I was discussing USNWR’s flawed methodology and other sources that are superior or contradict themselves in another thread. I’ll find you the link if you want me to. I have more than enough supporting evidence for my claim, but I’d rather not hijack (although apparently this is from 2008 lol). I suppose now it’s a renovated chance thread?</p>
<p>Your response did come off as attacking. In no way was I trying to make a statement that there is perfect methodology. All I was saying is USNWR is particularly misleading. It may be bookmarked on many high schoolers’ browser, but it certainly doesn’t reflect anywhere near an accurate list of the top schools in America. If you read about it yourself, you’ll understand that it is a relatively poor and inaccurate method of ranking. </p>
<p>I agree with you though, Berkeley is a great school. </p>
<p>“Each school has its pros and cons, and comparing the schools in an attempt to come up with some master ranking that is universally accepted is impossible”</p>
<p>I never said there was. You presume that I’m naive enough to think there is such a perfectly quantifiable system. However, obviously this isn’t the case. Despite this, there ARE statistics and significantly better systems that can rank departments at a more accurate level. Like I said, I’ll pull em up for you if you’d like me too. It’s important to scrutinize the methodology of each system. </p>
<p>I was merely pointing out first: kevin’s ignorance by basing his opinion purely off of USNWR and implying that those rankings are legitimate. I then provided my own opinion, which I did not specify was based off of any ranking system. It’s naive to assume though that I don’t take into account a variety of sources, statistics, and acquired knowledge when assessing school rankings. If you want me to post these to support my claim, I’ll be happy to.</p>
<p>“I just think it is pointless to argue over rankings. Everyone should choose to use a ranking system that employs a methodology which most closely parallels what is important to them as a student”</p>
<p>I agree with this lol, and that’s why we’ll leave it at that.</p>